Road Safety Education proposed to be included in K-12 program

Accidents happen all the time, especially on roads. However, it seems like not all these unfortunate incidents are really accidental. Oftentimes, those are the result of disobedience of traffic rules and regulations or maybe, lack of knowledge about it.

According to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), a total of 434 Filipinos died, while 19,374 were injured in the capital region due to road crashes in 2018 alone. These figures mean that 4 in every 100,000 individuals died last year, and 193 people in every 100,000 were injured.

Finding this data alarming, Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Luisa Lloren Cuaresma, filed House Bill 8761 in order to fill in the hole of current policies by including the road use, proper etiquette, and safety education in the curriculum of the Enhanced Basic Education or K to 12 program. This proposal aims to promote the general welfare of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.  

This proposed Road Safety Education Act mandates the Department of Education (DepEd) to inject in the appropriate subjects the basic traffic rules as defined by international treaty under the authority of the United Nations (UN), comprising the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, existing local traffic laws, different rules of the road, and driving etiquette. All of these are part of the general practices and procedures that every road user and pedestrian must follow.

Do you agree with the new bill submitted? We sure do, as education is a key and being a responsible driver and a knowledgeable pedestrian can make a huge difference. In line with this, execution of the law is what we also have to work on; stricter enforcement of traffic rules and regulation must be done as well.

Source: Manila Bulletin